Chapter VIII: The Village

After his morning's work, Thoreau often walked to the village to observe the habits of the men there, as he observed the squirrels in the woods.

He describes the pleasant experience of launching into the dark and tempestuous night to return to his snug harbor in the woods.

He recounts being seized and put in jail for not paying a poll tax, but notes his house was more respected than if it had been guarded by soldiers.